


dead glamour

by progfox



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-13
Updated: 2012-04-14
Packaged: 2017-11-03 14:56:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/382587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/progfox/pseuds/progfox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aradia doesn't feel and it breaks Jade's heart. (The end of the world is the last thing anyone needs to worry about.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	dead glamour

If there's anything they should be worried about, Jade decides, it's not the end of the world.

She ponders this as she looks through Rose's massive textbooks about nothing interesting, psychology or something lame like that. Jade doesn't care to dig deep into people's psyches. She'd rather try to understand them another way, somehow. Through their bodies and their thoughts rather than their potentially fucked up brains. They just seem more real that way, Jade thinks.

She sets down a particularly dry book about various schizotypal disorders and wanders off to another bookshelf. She finds something with a title that sounds kind of nice, something akin to a fairytale, and carefully pulls it off the shelf. Jade isn't really much into reading, as she's admitted to Rose many times, but every now and then she reads something that sounds cute or that Rose recommends. Usually the former, as Rose's preferred books tell stories of wizards and mental patients and other things Jade doesn't give a damn about.

As for this whole end of the world thing, it's Vriska's idea, her going out of control with apocolyptic theories again. It's nothing to worry about, Jade believes, as when has Vriska ever been right about the end of the world? Jade still does not care to think about it. Her preoccupation is a little disturbing, to be honest, but no matter. Jade is certainly surrounded by a rather interesting cast of characters.

Jade settles down on a sort of rickety little chair and opens her book. She insists she reads on but isn't getting "lost" in the story, as Rose describes her reading escapades. She's reading just to read, and it's a bother. There's nothing else to do, though, at least not at the moment, so Jade returns to the story as she sighs boredly.

As Jade continues to read absentmindedly, she spots someone in her peripheral vision, walking as if they're floating. She looks up to see Aradia, deader than ever. It's sort of sad to look into

Aradia's eyes to see nothing, literally nothing. A blank expanse where there should be irises and pupils. She can see just fine in spite of looking so blind, but it's saddening. Jade looks away, her heart aching.

Living in a place like this is hard work, especially when surrounded by the dead.

"Jade?" Aradia's voice seems to echo in an ethereal sort of way. A side effect of dying, perhaps.

"Yes?" Jade answers, sitting up and slamming her book shut. She tends to avoid speaking with Aradia nowadays; her eyes are so lifeless, her voice is so lifeless, she is lifeless in every sense of the word and it's just depressing. But Jade does not at all dislike the girl, and her little "fairytale" book is boring as hell.

Aradia strides up beside Jade and sits down. Jade is a bit surprised how gracefully she moves. Though they've known each other most of their lives - or life and non-life, in Aradia's case - the troll is still a mystery. All of them are, really, but Aradia is the one who's captured Jade's attention. They hung out together a few times before her death, but Jade spent most of her childhood with Feferi, Rose, Dave, and John. (Not to mention watching the occasional romcom with Karkat and Nepeta, though Karkat annoys her quite often with his angry tone of voice.)

Aradia shrugs, and this is her only response. Jade figures Aradia only called her name to confirm who was in her company as opposed to asking for help or a favor. She slides off the chair and lays on the ground, abandoning her book on the chair. Jade smiles at Aradia, who does not respond in any way. Just as expected, she doesn't really care. She's okay.

Jade sighs again, more of a sad sigh than anything else. Aradia looks at Jade, who can't look her in the eye.

"Is something wrong?" Aradia asks. It's so sad and so frustrating. Her voice is a saddening monotone and she doesn't really care and Jade knows it, she does not - can not - care about anything, she's just asking to be polite. Which is strange in and of itself, considering trolls have different ideas of manners and politeness than humans; it'd be so touching if only there were life in her voice!

"Everything's fine," Jade says. The lie slips so easily off her tongue, though she knows Aradia won't be concerned or think she's stupid or anything. Just doesn't want to answer questions right now, she supposes.

Neither girl says a word after this, merely sitting in silence together. At one point Jade picks up her book again, but it's just so dull and she hates the way the flipping pages try to break through their reverie. As the library grows darker, Jade considers taking Aradia down to eat dinner, but decides she'd rather not. It's nice, she feels, just sitting with Aradia and not making a sound. It's rare anyone besides Rose comes down here. Maybe she and Aradia could make this a habit.

Before Jade can lose herself in these happy thoughts, a scream breaks through the silent air. She jumps into an upright position. Aradia pulls Jade up onto her feet and they rush to a nearby window. They peek out into the yard to see Terezi laughing, her deadened eyes gleaming, and Vriska clutching her face. Terezi must have attacked her missing eye in yet another fight. They've fought quite a bit since Aradia died and Vriska lost her eye and Terezi went blind. Jade isn't sure what triggered this chain of revenge, but ever since it all happened things haven't been very peaceful around here.

Jade shakes her head at the two, a sort of disapproving look on her face. She takes a single deep breath and turns to Aradia. "Hey! Wanna go down and get some dinner."

Aradia blinks, as if she hadn't expected Jade to speak. "Sure," she answers, turning away from the scene outside.

Jade grins. "Alright!" She grabs Aradia's hand and leaves the library, pulling the ram-horned troll along with her.

* * *

If the apocalypse were really coming, what could they even do about it?

Jade wishes Vriska wouldn't talk about these things so loudly. Or at all, really, especially at the dinner table. The ideas constantly get stuck in her head. Jade isn't afraid or worried about it at all, but she'd rather not spend all night with her mind fixated on death.

Really, though, one would think death means nothing if they looked at Aradia, dead but still alive. Undead. How is it possible?

Jade sighs and angrily shoves a forkful of food in her mouth. Looks like she'll be stuck thinking about it anyway.

"A-are you okay?" Tavros asks, noticing the look on Jade's face. "You seem upset." He looks as though he's blushing a bit, a hint of brown showing on his cheeks; naturally he'd be a bit shy talking to her, considering his feelings for her and general lack of social skills. He's always been like one of those cliché farm-grown boys, better with animals than people.

"I'm fine," Jade assures him. She gives him a little smile, which he returns with a still-concerned expression. It's sweet he cares so much, and Jade almost feels bad that she doesn't reciprocate his crush.

Finished with his meal, Tavros wheels out of the room. His legs never really worked right; eventually they just stopped working altogether. It's hard not to feel a little sympathetic for the boy, taking into consideration his leg and his shy disposition and Vriska constantly bullying him.

Rose walks up beside Jade and taps her shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright, Jade? You don't seem quite like yourself right now."

She's certainly not afraid of death, but must its inevitabilty be flaunted around?

"I'm fine!" Jade grins. "Really. Vriska's just more annoying than normal today." Among other troublesome thoughts.

"I understand." Rose sighs and pats Jade's shoulder. "Serket's quite a handful, even on her good days."

Jade nods in agreement.

"So have you read the book I loaned you yet?"

"That book is _huge._ " Jade chuckles. "I haven't even started it yet. I can't read it in just a day!"

"Maybe if you actually tried," Rose retorts, nudging Jade with her elbow. "I'm sure you'd enjoy it."

"I'm so sure." Jade sticks her tongue out at the blonde. The two share a laugh and Rose starts walking away.

"I'll talk to you later," she says, waving once before turning away.

"Bye!" Jade waves back and turns back to her food. She's been so preoccupied with eating and chatting and having a general good time she's almost forgotten Aradia's sitting right beside her. Aradia doesn't seem to notice, or mind; either she's been busy focusing on the task of eating or she doesn't give a damn. Some combination of the two, probably.

It's just so sad.

Aradia turns her head and Jade catches her gaze. Before she can even think to look away, Aradia speaks.

"It's okay." She forces a little smile. No thought at all, Jade's sure. "I'm okay, really."

She's okay with this, well, Jade's not okay.

**Author's Note:**

> i literally have no idea where i'm going with this  
> let's find out!!
> 
> i like to think this is taking place in a castle of some sort but who knows
> 
> (also how do i homestuck)


End file.
